In partnership with Great Rivers Greenway’s one-mile stretch of the new Brickline Greenway segment between St. Louis CITY SC’s stadium, CITYPARK, and Harris Stowe State University, St. Louis CITY SC is paying tribute to the historic Black neighborhood Mill Creek Valley with a powerful permanent art installation called “Pillars of the Valley” outside the southwest corner of the stadium.
On February 16, the anniversary of when demolition of Mill Creek Valley began in 1959, the last remaining Mill Creek Valley residents and East St. Louis native Damon Davis joined St. Louis CITY SC and community partners to remember the neighborhood’s history, see the art installation, and celebrate the completion of this section of the Brickline Greenway.
“Sports can be a force for good in helping create meaningful dialogue around social and racial equity issues, and this important project is unlike anything in professional sports,” said St. Louis CITY SC President and CEO Carolyn Kindle. “With our stadium district overlapping the footprint of Mill Creek Valley, we knew it was important to acknowledge the hard truths from St. Louis’ past. We want visitors to CITYPARK to learn, honor and remember the history and stories of who was here before us.”
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, novelist and former Mill Creek Valley resident Vivian Gibson, and project organizers talked at the event about the aim to promote awareness of the Mill Creek Valley narrative, which many St. Louis people are unaware of. Pillars of the Valley is part of the Counterpublic 2023 civic art show, which takes place every three years in St. Louis from April through July. Counterpublic weaves contemporary art into the lives of St. Louisans in order to rethink how civic infrastructure, such as public art, might help us heal by connecting us through our common history and stories.
More About Pillars Of The Valley
Damon Davis, a nationally acclaimed post-disciplinary artist and East St. Louis native, created Pillars of the Valley to celebrate and memorialize the 20,000 Black citizens who were forced from the once-thriving Mill Creek Valley area in the 1950s in the name of urban renewal. One of the primary topics that emerged from the Brickline Greenway engagement process was this narrative. A piece of the impressive art work is permanently displayed on Market Street in CITYPARK’s southwest plaza. The southern side of the stadium is designed to depict the precise plotlines and addresses of the residences that existed on the stadium site more than 50 years ago.
“As I learned more about the story of Mill Creek Valley, I kept coming back to the idea of going back in time, literally digging up the things that were buried, hoisting them up for everyone to see, making that history something you had to deal with as you walk by,” said Davis. “I’ve created a series of pedestals and portals that represent an hourglass, holding time still in the form of the soil. In each one of the pillars, there is a quote inscribed from a resident who actually lived in Mill Creek. The landscaping and benches around them are in the shape of the plots of land, the apartments, and homes and businesses where people lived, worked, and gathered. I am thankful to get to tell the residents’ stories and be here with them for this moment.”
STL CITY SC hopes that on game days and beyond, soccer fans, supporters, and tourists will be encouraged to learn about and enjoy the history of Mill Creek Valley, including acknowledging the accomplishments of the individuals who lived there. In addition to the art show, St. Louis CITY SC will provide Mill Creek Valley information and resources via the club’s website and social media platforms. Pillars of the Valley will eventually cover the new one-mile portion of the Brickline Greenway between CITYPARK and Harris-Stowe State University.
“The Mill Creek Valley residents have generously shared their memories with us because they know that stories build community,” said Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “Working with Damon and partners like St. Louis CITY SC let us bring their legacy to life in a powerful way through art and future programs along the Brickline Greenway.”
